Page 46 of Too Much In Common
“Hopeful to get back on a cabin crew. She thinks with yesterday’s news that she can.”
“She’d be safer on long-haul flights. In business or first class,” said her father.
“I don’t think she has the seniority for that.”
“Legacy has a duty to all of their employees to keep them safe.”
Tian did a double take. This was so far from his original comments to Simone about being a whiner and ignoring passes from passengers. “She said you apologized.”
“I even called myself a male chauvinist pig.” Her father chuckled. “It took me a long time to grow up. I understand now why my last two wives divorced me. Until the diagnosis, I didn’t realize that I was not twenty-seven anymore. I’d say I regretted it all, but I love Brit too much. I can’t regret her. My middle son will never see me again. Number three’s ex has asked that her husband legally adopt him, and I gave my consent. And the twins are apparently not mine after all. So now you have only one step sibling you’ll ever know.” He didn’t mention the children from the paternity suits. As far as Tian knew, the settlements all included that he had no contact with the children.
“I’ve always wondered about how you balanced two families for so long.”
“Mostly stupid luck. When you were little, your mother and I tried to keep separate schedules so at least one of us was home each night. That made it easy to start with. Then your mom got her RN. She knew I was, in her words, ‘messing around.’ Brit’s mom did too. The week after Brit’s mom died, your mother told me she’d known for years. Boston is a big place, but not big enough. Your mothers met in a yoga class two or three years before Brit’s mom got sick. Taking in Brit was your mother’s idea. She reasoned correctly that I’d be more likely to be involved in your lives, and it was better than Brit having to move to Nevada and live with an uncle she’d never met.”
“Why didn’t Mom tell me that?” Misplaced anger rumbled through Tian, looking for an escape route.
“Your mother had her reasons. I know the entire situation was messed up. It was my mess-up. And you have every right to be upset with me. “
“I want to forgive you. But it is hard. I’ve been angry for so long. And I know you have tried. You never missed a single birthday. But then I fly with one of the older pilots and they realize I’m yours, and...”
“And you have to face my reputation.”
“Yup. There is that.”
“Have you ever thought about leaving Legacy?”
“And break Grandpa’s heart?”
“It wouldn’t break his heart. He only wants you to be happy. Yes, he was thrilled to have a granddaughter earn her wings, but he wouldn’t care if all you ever flew was his Cessna on weekend trips.”
“I thought the whole four generation thing...”
“Is a cool perk. But he doesn’t want to dictate your future.”
“I love to fly. No one made that choice for me.”
“But it doesn’t have to be Legacy Air. There may be a day when you want to look at flying corporate or cargo that keeps you on a more regular schedule and closer to home. A pilot’s life is hard on relationships and families—even when the pilot isn’t a jerk like me and only has one family, which he is faithful to. And, yes, there are a lot of them out there.”
“I’ve never considered leaving Legacy.”
“Honestly, the best job I had was being a dad. I blew it spectacularly. Infidelity aside, I’d do a lot of things differently if I could do it all over. Those years before 9-11, when your mom and I both still flew, even though we tried to arrange our schedules so one of us was home, it meant we rarely saw each other, and you spent a lot of time with Aunt Ella. When neither of us could reach home to be with you for four days, that was the worst. My point is, someday you may want a family and Legacy Air shouldn’t be more important than your spouse and children.”
“I’m hoping with the new maternity leave policies, it would be easier to stay.”
“One time that nepotism pays. Your Aunt Jenny campaigned for years for the flight attendants. When she pointed out that pilots had it worse, she got changes made there as well.”
“Back to whatever the point was, because I am sure this isn’t about my fictitious future.”
“Sorry. I’ve been thinking about all the things I’ll miss. Grandchildren came up in that list.”
Tian didn’t comment. Children were not on her radar. A second date was as far as she could consider. “Dad, you said you would be fine.”
“And I will be. I’ve just been thinking of my own mortality. I guess it comes with hearing the doctor say ‘cancer.’”
“I’m glad I told you I forgive you...” Tears filled her eyes.
“It wouldn’t have mattered to me.” He pulled her into a hug.
